Author Profile

Kari Lydersen

Kari Lydersen is a Chicago-based reporter, author and journalism instructor, leading the Social Justice & Investigative specialization in the graduate program at Northwestern University. She is the author of Mayor 1%: Rahm Emanuel and the Rise of Chicago’s 99%.

Chicago Teachers Are Threatening To Strike Against New Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Here’s Why.

In 2012, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) took to the streets with thousands of supporters in a seven-day strike that was ultimately seen as a victory against “Mayor 1%” Rahm Emanuel. A lot... MORE

Working · August 7, 2019
A Historic Election in Chicago Cracks the Machine

The old guard is on the way out, and a progressive future for the city is coming into focus. MORE

Views · March 1, 2019
Mayor 1% Rahm Emanuel Will Not Be Missed in Chicago

Emanuel will be remembered for his arrogance, impatience and disregard for regular Chicagoans. MORE

Features · September 6, 2018
In a Landslide Vote, the LA Times Just Unionized, Upending a Long Anti-Labor History

Update: On Friday, January 19, the News Guild announced that Los Angeles Times journalists had voted overwhelmingly in favor of a union, 248-44. The victory will lead to the paper's first staff union,... MORE

Working · January 18, 2018
Opponents of School Privatization Are Very Worried About a New Law in Illinois. Here’s Why.

Chicago public schools began classes this month after securing much-needed money from the state. But the funding bill came with a provision that critics say could imperil public education in the state and... MORE

Working · September 25, 2017
At the Bullfrog, Those Left Behind by the Global Economy Find Relief—and a Place to Talk Trump

In a Jamestown, N.Y., hotel and bar, down-and-out former factory workers seek solidarity and camaraderie—often expressed in shared rants about immigrants or liberals. MORE

Culture · July 25, 2017
The Heroin Crisis We’ve Ignored

A compassion deficit afflicts Black and Latino users. MORE

Features · April 24, 2017
Chicago Window Workers Who Occupied Their Factory in 2008 Win New Bankruptcy Payout

Seven years after Republic Windows & Doors workers occupied a recently-shuttered factory in Chicago, making international news, and three years after they opened their own window company, they are receiving a $295,000... MORE

Working · January 25, 2016
Chicago Car Wash Workers: Owner Took Their Tips, Said They Were His

Harsh, messy winter days are when car wash workers’ jobs are the hardest, and the busiest. Vehicles stream in crusted with salt and grime. The workers are outside, on their feet in... MORE

Working · January 21, 2016
New Play Chronicles the Toll of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill on Workers

The 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is widely known as one of the worst environmental catastrophes in modern history, with oil pouring into the sensitive ocean environment for 87... MORE

Working · December 9, 2015
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